Latest opinions
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“Pedanticism – pedantry, actually!”
20 October 2015 Town CrierWhat does one do when a customer is just plain wrong? During the August melee I had somebody in the shop who was adamant that he didn’t want Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire, but her Cheddar -
“New ideas”
20 October 2015 Expert EyeThe headline of the Evening Standard on Thursday 10th September 2015 proclaimed the words “Store Wars” in bold type -
“Old dog or new tricks?”
20 October 2015 Fine FoodThere are two powerful forces at work in everyone who shops for food and drink. On the one hand there is the allure of the new, while on the other is the comfort of what is old and established -
Great British Bake Off
12 October 2015 Speciality BitesI’ve got a confession to make. Up until the last 30 minutes of this year’s final I had never watched the Great British Bake Off -
Change is Coming – B Corporations
06 October 2015 Speciality BitesI am proud to say that at the launch of B Corporations in the UK last week, Cotswold Fayre was one of 60 founder companies to be accredited in the UK. We were joined “in the club” by one supplier... -
Returning from Speciality & Fine Food Fair
16 September 2015 Speciality BitesAs always when returning from Speciality & Fine Food Fair it is good to reflect. This show, being the largest in the sector, is always a good barometer of the industry as a whole, so what have we learned this year? -
“Train staff and they leave; but even worse – don’t train them and they stay “
24 August 2015 Town CrierMy wife is a physiotherapist (good call, eh?) and is obliged to demonstrate ‘continuing professional development’ in order to renew her accreditation -
“Horizon scanning”
24 August 2015 OpinionLife would be so much easier if we knew exactly where the shopper, the market and the trends in food were headed -
“Cheese@BRA – a cheese-lover’s rite of passage”
24 August 2015 Cheese TalkBig ones, small ones, some as big as your head and much, much bigger, and more cheese than most people will ever see in a lifetime -
“Do local rules apply?”
24 August 2015 Fine FoodYear on year, our ongoing obsession with “local” foods is tested to the limit. The idea that responsible foodies should shop locally, and in tune with the seasons, is a good one, but rules are there to be broken
